Nancy Annette Valentine, 89, died at home in Paradise Cove on July 31. She was born on Long Island, N.Y., on Jan. 21, 1928, to Richard Valentine, an artist, and Bertha Valentine, a Ziegfeld dancer-turned-housewife. Nancy outlived her three brothers and sister.
In 1943, she dropped out of high school her senior year to work as a Conover model, appearing on the cover of many popular magazines. While dining at the famed El Morocco nightclub one night in 1946, Nancy was discovered by Howard Hughes, who signed her to a long-term contract with 20th Century Fox. Viewed as a rising star, she left Hollywood to marry Jagaddipendra Narayan, the maharaja of Cooch Behar in India.
Until her retirement in the mid-1990s, Nancy had an active career in film and television. She starred in movies such as “-30-” with Jack Webb, “Tess Of The Storm Country” with Diane Baker and “The Black Castle” with Cornel Wilde. She also appeared in more than 100 TV shows, including “Dragnet,” “Sea Hunt,” “The Real McCoys,” “Thriller,” “Johnny Staccato,” “Peyton Place” and “Colombo,” among many others. She also acted as co-host of the popular Los Angeles late-night talk show, “The Tom Duggan Show.”
Nancy was married three times. After returning from India and divorcing the maharaja, she joined the Self-Realization Fellowship convent in Los Angeles. Four years later, before taking her final vows, she realized she couldn’t renounce the world. After leaving the convent, she resumed her career.
Her second marriage was to Ted Tillinghast, with whom she had a daughter, Darin Tillinghast. They divorced in the late 1950s. In 1962, she married TV producer Everett Chambers. They had a daughter, Alicia Chambers Fodor. Following their divorce in 1975, she lived in Malibu until her death. Nancy is survived by five grandchildren, one great-grandchild, and a number of loving family members and friends.
A loved one said she “will always live on in their hearts.”